Tushy Classic 3.0 Bidet Toilet Seat Attachment
Our score: 7 | Style: Toilet seat attachment, cold water model | Special features: Color options for model and knobs | Warranty: 1-year warranty, 60-day trial period | Requires an outlet: No
Best for:
- People who prefer a cold water model
- Bathrooms without easy access to an outlet
- Customizing a color combination to go with your bathroom
- Easy installation on any model of toilet
Skip if:
- You’d like warm water
- You prefer more control over the water pressure and angle
It’s hard to avoid Tushy’s cheeky marketing, which acknowledges how funny it is that you’re buying a device to wash your butt. The Tushy Classic 3.0 is a simple, no-frills model with a sleek look and more colors to choose from than other models I tested. Unlike other nonelectric bidets, the Tushy is more aesthetically pleasing. Functionally, it directs a stream of cold water towards your nether regions to clean you off, and that’s it. Because the Tushy is a nonelectric bidet, it’s a good option if you don’t have easy access to the electrical outlet that electric bidet seats require. The Tushy doesn’t have the ability to control the water temperature of the stream you’re shooting at your butt. But I found that I didn’t mind that much. The cold water wasn’t as off-putting as I thought it would be after trying out the hot water models. Plus, the sleek knob-and-switch system allowed me to angle the water pretty well—not quite with the precision of the Toto, but close enough to do the job well.
The Tushy Classic 3.0 doesn’t require an outlet, and will work on most toilets.
The Tushy comes in white, black, blue, pink and “biscuit,” and you can choose a knob that’s platinum, gold, bronze, bamboo or gunmetal, based on your chosen seat color. That allows you to customize the colors to match your bathroom fixtures to a greater extent than any other bidet I tested, and it avoids much of the unpleasant medical vibe that many other models have. The installation was very easy, with clear instructions that are written with first-time bidet installers and users in mind. It also can fit on almost any toilet. Most electric bidet seats require you to know whether your toilet has an elongated or round bowl, and some seats work only on elongated bowls. Because the Tushy isn’t a toilet seat replacement, just an add-on, it will work with whatever you’ve got.
Best Value Electric Bidet
An Electric Bidet With A Nightlight And Long Warranty
Alpha JX Bidet
Our score: 8 | Style: Electric seat, hot water model | Special features: Dryer, nightlight, one-touch easy wash, one-touch easy dry, sittable lid | Warranty: 3 years | Requires an outlet: Yes
Best for:
- People looking for a long warranty to try out a bidet seat
- Nighttime, with a nightlight function that makes going to the bathroom in the dark easier
- An electric seat at a lower price point
Skip if:
- You want user presets
- You’d like a deodorizer function
The longer I used the Alpha JX, the more I grew to like it. It’s an extremely functional bidet that’s pleasant to use. During a year and a half of using this bidet, when I kept the Alpha JX installed in our upstairs guest bathroom, I would sometimes sneak in to use it. It was nosed out of the top slot just slightly by the Toto’s presets and deodorizer function, but I found its controls a little more intuitive to use than the Toto’s, and the water pressure slightly more adjustable—the settings, to me, were a bit easier to control.
The Alpha also has a tankless water-heating system, which means that you won’t ever run out of hot water (unlike the Toto), which is a plus if you want to keep the water from the bidet flowing for more than a minute. I don’t think I ever needed hot water for that long, but certain guests who used the seat reported that they appreciated the feature.
Installing the Alpha was similar to the Toto, except that it requires you to hook up a flexible tube to both the bidet seat and the toilet tank, an easy enough operation but one that I found took a little bit of trial and error—and a wrench to get fully secure. Using the Alpha is easy, thanks to a wireless remote that pairs automatically with the toilet seat. The remote’s design is slightly more cluttered than the Toto’s, but it also offers different options. If you really want to fine-tune your bidet experience, it’s helpful to have a few more settings to play with. The Alpha also has a sturdy, sittable toilet seat, a nice function if you like to use your toilet as a chair to do other bathroom activities (for me, trimming my toenails).
It also has a somewhat controversial feature: an LED night-light with an ambient light function that turns on when it’s dark in the bathroom. At first I worried the night-light would be annoying to guests, but people seem to love it. The heated seat is a particularly nice bonus as well. My aunt recently stayed with me for a week and couldn’t stop commenting on how lovely it was to have on cold mornings. As a bonus, the Alpha JX is also a safe investment, thanks to its 3-year warranty that offers security against possible future malfunctions.
Best Bidet For Beginners
A Functional, No-Frills, User-Friendly Model
Luxe Bidet NEO 120
Our score: 7 | Style: Toilet seat attachment, cold water model | Special features: Knob color options | Warranty: 18 months | Requires an outlet: No
Best for:
- People who’d like to try a bidet but don’t want to spend more than $40
- People who prefer a cold water model
- Bathrooms without easy access to an outlet
- Easy installation on any model of toilet
Skip if:
- You’d like warm water
- You prefer more control over the water pressure and angle
- You’d like more color options
If you’re curious about a bidet but aren’t sure you really want to spend $100 to find out if it’s for you, there are plenty of cold water options that allow first-time users to gauge whether they like a bidet before investing in an expensive model. The Luxe Bidet Neo 120 is a cold water model that, like the Tushy, plugs into whatever toilet you have and lets you keep your original toilet seat. It’s also about a third of the cost of the Tushy, and it’s Amazon’s number one bestseller in the world of bidet attachments, with more than 80,000 reviews. It’s a simple, functional, easy-to-install option that would be particularly good if you’re renting an apartment and don’t want to mess around with the plumbing too much.
The Luxe has a boxier look than the Tushy and comes in three colors, white, chrome and rose gold. The installation is a snap, thanks to clear instructions and a fairly simple operation. While the Tushy panel has a knob and a switch, the Luxe has two knobs that allow you to control the direction and pressure of the water. I found that the Luxe doesn’t control the pressure all that well—it seems to be basically on or off—but the angle knob helped send the stream to the correct place. Like the Tushy, the Luxe doesn’t have a water temperature option or any of the additional features that come with an electric model, like a dryer or heated seat, but it’s an excellent entry-level model if you’re on the fence about using bidets, or want to use it as an add-on in a guest room. If what you want is an easy on-off option for under $50, it’s a solid choice.
Other Bidets I Tested
I tested three other bidets that didn’t make the winners list.
A Sleek Option With Slightly Tricky Instillation
BB-2000 Bidet Toilet Seat
Our score: 6
The plate that comes with the BB-2000 doesn’t have clear instructions on the front or back, making the installation trickier than with others, though I got it eventually. Though it had many features, like a preset wash-and-dry button, it felt overly complicated compared to the Toto C5.
A Solid Electric Bidet Seat
Brondell Swash 1400 Bidet Toilet Seat
Our score: 6
The Brondell Swash 1400 is a solid bidet seat with a few convenient features that make it stand out. Alongside the heated seat, adjustable water flow, and dryer, it also offered a “wide spray” function to cover more area, a contrast to the usual more narrow stream of water. It also had a blue LED nightlight, which eliminated the potential problem of a night light illuminating your toilet grime, but added an eerie airplane-like atmosphere to the bathroom. While I thought the Brondell Swash 1400 was a good bidet seat, it ultimately didn’t have enough standout features to unseat any of my top picks.
A Pricey Model With Less Features
Tushy Ace Electric Bidet Seat
Our score: 5
The Tushy Ace is a perfectly functional electric bidet seat, but it costs just as much as the Toto and has fewer features. It has a heated seat, temperature control and air dryer, but the remote doesn’t allow you to calibrate the angle as effectively as the Toto does.
How I Tested The Best Bidets
One of my main concerns with investing in a bidet has always been the installation process. Though I can do some things around the house, anything having to do with plumbing or electricity feels best left to a professional. But I was pleasantly surprised by how simple the bidet installation process was in my testing. I installed ten different bidets in my bathroom to learn firsthand how easy they are to set up, and I noted when the process was complicated or finicky. Since my initial testing, I’ve swapped out the bidet models a couple times to retest them, as well as added four more bidets to my testing process. Although I had to reread the instructions again to jog my memory, I didn’t find it too onerous to move them around. You can install most bidets through a similar process—if you can remove your toilet seat and turn off the water valve, then you can install a bidet.
Some instructions were easier to follow than others. The electric models I tested require the installation of a mounting plate—the section that secures to the toilet and allows the bidet seat to slide in—and have different systems for securing that piece to the model. Nonelectric bidets don’t require a catchment plate and generally are easier to install. I found in my long-term testing that occasionally a bidet seat starts to skew slightly out of alignment with the toilet bowl, a problem that you can easily fix by removing the seat from the catchment plate and snapping it back into its correct position. Some models didn’t even require removing the seat at all, so much as wiggling the model back towards the tank and into place.
When I spoke to James Lin, founder of BidetKing.com—a site that sells all different models of bidets including its own line, Alpha Bidet—he said that a good bidet should rinse you fully clean within about 45 seconds. So for each bidet, I wrapped the toilet in saran wrap, applied a squirt of shaving cream to the underside of the wrap, and timed how long it took for the bidet to wash it clean. I also, of course, used each bidet myself for 3 days and had my husband do the same and take notes. (Yes, we now know way too much about each other’s bathroom habits.)
I also considered how each bidet seat looks. You may, like me, tend to avoid bidets because something about them screams “medical device for my butt.” Bidets that have a lower profile blend in more with your bathroom. “The older ones are bigger and bulkier,” Lin says. “All bidets are roughly the same shape, but some are more sleek.” I searched for bidets that looked like they blended into my bathroom, ones that scanned as a regular toilet at first glance and weren’t too bulky or oddly shaped.
I only tested electric bidet seats that have a remote control, rather than a side panel (the non-electric models I tested have side panels). Electric bidet seats with a side panel tend to be cheaper, but also more of an eyesore. The extra bulk of the panel also makes it more difficult to install if you have a small bathroom or a tight space where your toilet fits. A remote also makes a bidet easier to use if you have it for medical reasons—twisting over to figure out a side panel might not be possible or comfortable for a host of reasons, and the remote neatly sidesteps that problem. After having the bidet seats installed for a year, I barely notice them in my bathroom anymore—which is exactly what I was hoping for.
And finally, I assessed what other extra features the bidet had and how they contributed to the bathroom experience. Those included having two nozzles, water temperature control, pressure control, angle control, functions like an auto clean-and-dry cycle, an adjustable heated seat, sanitizing functions for the bidet nozzle and the ability to save your preferred settings for whenever you use the toilet. Things like a heated seat and a deodorizer might not be strictly necessary, but they’re certainly pleasant, and they’re worth the upgrade for some people.
How To Pick A Bidet
If it’s your first time choosing a bidet, it can be overwhelming to sort through the many options, functions and price points. Here’s what to consider:
An important thing to consider when buying a bidet is your personal geometry and what your needs are for cleaning your rear. “With bidet seats, there’s a learning curve,” says Lin. “They’re not magical devices with cartoon hands to clean you. It’s a nozzle that comes at you. It does require some practice. You have to change the angle down there.” Every bidet seat is going to require a little time to get used to, so give the seat at least a couple days after you install it to see if you like it. I found that using the bidet seat for at least a week or two gave me a better idea of what settings worked for me, and repeated use allowed me to better fine-tune the pressure and angle of the water stream. Once I found the settings that worked for me, I’ve barely adjusted them at all.
Most electric seat bidets come with two options for controlling the system: a remote control or a side panel. Bidets with remote controls are helpful if wiping isn’t comfortable or possible for you. The wireless remote means you don’t have to contort your body on the seat to reach a panel or attempt to read the buttons as you’re in the middle of going to the bathroom. A side panel is more convenient if you’re worried about misplacing the remote, or if you simply prefer to operate the system through a panel. All the bidet seats I chose with a remote pair automatically with the seats. Some bidets have a more complicated pairing process, which is something to watch out for.
When picking a seat, consider what’s important to you. If all you want is a quick, effective stream, a cold water model will do just fine. If you live somewhere cold and a heated seat sounds nice, an electric bidet seat is the way to go. Some bidets offer more intense water pressure (if that’s something you want), and others have features like a soft-close lid or deodorizing function. Some seats are more obtrusive and boxy, others are sleeker and more futuristic. Some, like the Toto S7, even offer you the option of toilet seat styles. Bidets also come in colors outside the standard white, and some allow you to customize the color of the hardware to match the rest of your bathroom fixtures. Your bathroom, your rules.
The length that you use a bidet is up to your own preference and bathroom needs. But bear in mind that a good bidet should wash you clean in “45 seconds to a minute, maximum,” says Lin.
Bidets range in price anywhere from $50 to upwards of $1000. The main difference in price comes down to electric vs. nonelectric bidets. Electric bidets tend to cost more since they offer more functions, whereas nonelectric bidets (like a cold water model) typically attach to your existing seat but don’t come with extra features like a heater or dryer.
You may be wondering: Is using a bidet more sanitary than wiping? In a word: yes. “At my private practice, I try to educate my clients on what should be standard hygiene. First, nighttime showering is key. Just think of all the grime and poop and sweat from the day, and then popping into bed without a cleansing routine. That alone can leave the anal tissue super irritated,” says anal surgeon Dr. Evan Goldstein. “Then, when we use wet wipes or subpar toilet paper, the issues become compounded. Bidets, overall, are a better approach.” In a perfect world, Goldstein says, we would all shower off after every bowel movement, but we don’t live in that world. “The next-best thing is a bidet,” he says.
My Expertise
I’m a journalist with 14 years of experience who has done lifestyle product testing and written recommendations for New York magazine, Food & Wine and Vox, among other places. I have also picked the best pillows, best meal kit delivery services, best juicers, best coffee grinders and best nonstick pans for Forbes Vetted. For this piece, I installed and tested six bidets and kept the four winners in rotation for a year since I first installed them. I also consulted anal surgeon Dr. Evan Goldstein; my own plumber, Vincent Goffredo; and BidetKing.com founder James Lin to learn more and find the best models.
What Is The Best Bidet On The Market?
After testing a variety of bidets, I crowned the Toto C5 Washlet as the best overall pick because it’s intuitive, easy to install and packed with a ton of features like user presets and a deodorizer function. However, the right bidet for you may not be the best option for someone else. Make sure to consider your purpose for buying a bidet, as well as the installation process and seat style.
Can You Install A Bidet On Any Toilet?
Most toilets will accommodate a bidet, but not all bidets will fit every toilet. Per bidet emporium manybidets.com, “The most common fit issues involve toilets with bolt holes that are unusually far apart, toilets with very little space between the bolt holes and the tank, and toilets with a tight French curve between the tank and bowl.” To make sure the bidet you want will fit on your toilet, measure the space between the bolt holes that attach the toilet seat to the rest of the toilet. A nonelectric bidet should fit on almost any toilet, but for an electric seat bidet, you’ll also want to find out whether your toilet has a round or elongated bowl. That’s fairly simple to figure out—just measure the bowl from the front to the back. If your bowl is 16.5 to 17.5 inches, it’s round. If it’s longer than that, it’s elongated.
Do You Wipe Before Using A Bidet?
Every person is different; whether you should wipe before using a bidet depends on what feels most comfortable to you. Some people prefer to wipe first and then use the bidet for an ever deeper clean, but that isn’t necessary since bidets emit such strong water pressure. The more important step is the wipe after using a bidet. Make sure you still have a place in your bathroom for paper or, as Dr. Goldstein recommends, a dedicated towel to dry your butt off once you use the bidet. “One thing most people neglect to do is make sure everything is completely dry down there before pulling up their pants. Excessive moisture in this region can lead to its own complications, like bacterial, fungal and viral skin infections in the area.” Or you can invest in a bidet seat that includes an air dryer, like the Toto C5 or Alpha JX.
Do I Need To Empty The Toilet Tank Before I Install A Bidet?
Though every bidet installation has different instructions, most need access to your toilet’s water supply. To set up your bidet without a lot of mess, you’ll need to shut off the water supply to the toilet and flush the toilet so that the tank is empty. It doesn’t need to be completely dry, just drained so that water doesn’t accidentally go everywhere. Read the instructions for the bidet you’re installing to double check.
